Little Treasures and Traditions
by nicolebaka
Summary: "Damon Salvatore!" Elena sounded so scandalized she may as well have walked in on an orgy. "I think you accidently gave me the 'naughty' gift." "Nope, it's the right one," he assured her, smirking. A little look into Delena's first Christmas together if S4 was the last. How would they spend Elena's favorite holiday as a couple? Slightly AU.


**Hello dear readers,**

 **So I just couldn't miss this year's holiday season without a Delena Christmas one-shot! I was planning on participating in LJ's Author2Author Holiday Exchange for the third time, but unfortunately, things got in the way. Instead, I wrote this little fanfic and I'm going to submit it to the Delena Fandom Awards that's going on around Twitter.**

 **I hope your Holidays are going well and everything is rainbows and unicorns! :)**

* * *

 **Little Treasures and Traditions**

Damon rested his head against the front door and closed his eyes, allowing a weary sigh to slip past his lips. Who would have thought that vampires could get exhausted? He was. Utterly exhausted with this crazy fucking day, and yet it still wasn't over. Half of his hellish morning had been spent with the council members at the Founder's Hall.

Fucking founders and their small town memorial crap. If he had to plan one more event, he was going to unleash fresh hell upon this town so they would forever be remembering 'the day Damon Salvatore painted the town red'. He was positive they created these kinds of events just to fuck with his life.

At noon, he managed to snag himself a well-deserved drink at the Grill, but not before getting trapped in a traffic jam where the people of Mystic Falls went slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter. He was so close to calling quits and vamp-speed home in broad daylight, but then drama landed in his lap once more.

His favorite Forbes rang about an 'animal attack' that needed his immediate presence. Because it seemed no fucker else in the town could adequately deal with this shit. _Halle-fucking-lujah_. Now a whole other hour and half of his day had gone by, wasted on an actual animal attack, and not a newbie blood-crazed vampire and he'd blessedly managed to reach the boarding house.

He already had a million plans listed in his mind, starting with a glass of his favorite bourbon. But as usual, he wasn't allowed such peace. The minute he walked over the threshold, he could smell it. Someone had been in his house. Motherfuckers. The furniture in the parlor had been moved around.

His favorite and most expensive Persian rugs were gone, and the drinking cart which contained his precious and sanity prevailing booze collection was nowhere to be seen. Someone was going to die today, and lucky for him, the fuckers had moved his rug so he wouldn't be replacing it later this afternoon.

"Little Gilbert?" Damon yelled.

He doubted even Jeremy was dumb enough to try and rearrange his home, but there were different noises echoing around the old house and Jeremy had taken to trying to catch Damon unawares. Idiot. Besides it couldn't be Elena's brother, because he was off with wolf boy and Donovan in Lockwood's winter cabin until New Year's Eve.

I couldn't be his own brother either, since he was in Brazil not only 12 hours ago, traveling the world with his hero hair and some stupid shit to re-discovering himself like some college girl.

Which only led to one person. His girlfriend. Elena Gilbert.

Only she would dare to replace his Persian rugs with a fully decorated Christmas tree, complete with presents and tinsel that was littering his polished floorboards. Every doorway was decorated with fresh garland and there was another Christmas tree in the hallway.

Stockings hung on the fireplace and a Poinsettia bouquet with dark leaves and deep red flowers the color of fresh blood sat on the coffee table. Now that he was paying attention, the house stunk of pine and he could hear the stands of holiday music somewhere in the house, which had been the noises he had heard earlier.

He was getting old. A decade back and he would have been able to hear the music from his driveway, smell the pine and sense the change of air in his home. He would have certainly been able to determine who was in his home. _I swear to God, if it's Katherine then I'm going to stake myself,_ he thought dramatically. _Gah, now I sound like Stefan._

Damon stepped deeper into the parlor and glanced around, taking in all the Christmas cheer. While this all screamed Elena with her enthusiasm for the holidays, he knew for a fact that she had been taken hostage by Caroline to help decorate the Forbes cabin, and wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning.

Damon also had a sneaking suspicion that Blondie had used the cabin as an excuse to further lecture Elena about her choice in men which meant he wouldn't be seeing Elena for a _very_ long time. He made a mental note to make Caroline suffer for kidnapping his girlfriend for two entire days, and for all the shit she was surely spouting about him in the process.

Still, there was no denying what he could see, hear and smell. There was only one woman who sang so off-pitch. Grinning, he moved down the hallway and into the kitchen, calling, "Elena?"

"In here," came the answer.

He could already hear how joyous her voice was, infected as she was with optimism and happiness. Especially at Christmas. Elena always wore happiness well. It lit her up from the inside. Still, he was struck dumb by the sight before him. She was wearing his "Mr. Good Looking is Cooking" apron that she got for him last Christmas.

Straightening up from the oven, she put down a tray laden with cookies on the counter. She was humming under her breath but nearly breaking her jaw with the smile that was gracing her face. Damon repressed a smile, letting it cool into a smirk. The sight of her made him instantly forget his shitty day.

Walking behind her, he enveloped Elena in his arms and placed a long kiss on her cheek. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you," he whispered against her skin. "But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Blondie?"

Elena lifted her hands to place them over the ones embracing her, covering him with the flour and nutmeg that had clung to her fingers. "I missed you, and I wasn't exactly quiet about it to Caroline, so she let me go." She tilted her head back on his chest to grin at him with mischief in her brown eyes.

Tucking her chin again, she slowly turned in his arms and tilted her head so that her chin rested on his chest. Damon immediately leaned in to steal a kiss. Forty-eight hours was too much time to be away from her. "I brought some food and took the liberty of decorating. I hope you don't mind."

Damon laughed under his breath. "Yeah, I noticed." He stole another kiss. "House looks great. Very _festive_."

"I'm glad you like it. I was afraid you might think I went to extremes, knowing your OCD tendencies." She teased him with a smile.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Not at all. Though if it hadn't had been you I was ready to tear out someone's heart." He grinned wickedly at her outraged gasp of 'Damon! It's Christmas eve!' As if the day of the year would change his plans to kill.

"Anyway. I just hope you made sure there's plenty of mistletoe hanging around the place." He paused for dramatic effect and then whispered in her ear, "and that you didn't leave out the bedroom."

Elena wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and he smirked at the goosebumps littering her exposed arms. "Do you really need mistletoes as an excuse to kiss me?"

"Never." He captured her lips in a quick kiss to prove it.

"Good. Because I just finished with the cookies and we haven't seen each other for almost two days," she whispered breathlessly, playing with the buttons of his black shirt. Her heart thrummed like a bird against his chest.

"Well then, what are we still doing in the kitchen? I think you should show me what you did with our bedroom." Before she could reply, Damon swooped her up in his arms bridal style and carried her to their bedroom, where they made up, repeatedly, for the last couple of hours spent apart.

* * *

Later in the evening, after they had satisfied _all_ of their appetites, Damon and Elena relaxed with each other on the sofa with her back leaning against his chest, her body nestled into his and one of his arms wrapped around her, the other holding a glass of bourbon.

"So, which funny, and not even remotely boring Home Alone are we watching today?" He asked sarcastically.

It was Elena's holiday tradition to watch Christmas movies. Apparently, it was something she had done since she was a small child and the kid with the two 'genius' thieves was her favorite. When he had made a face the first time she told him, she had exclaimed with, "Damon! It's not Christmas without Home Alone!"

"You think you know me so well." She scoffed as she turned her head to look at him.

"Please," he scoffed back, running his free hand over her shoulder. "I know you better than I know myself. Your favorite holiday is Christmas and you're a sucker for traditions. Just look around at the house!" He gestured violently around the room. "So, which one is it?"

"Fine," she relented. "But it won't be Home Alone," she said with a pout and red cheeks.

"Are you serious?" Damon asked with mock shock, although a part of him really was shocked. He brought his hand up to her forehead. "I know vampires can't get sick, but are you feeling well?"

Elena rolled her eyes and swatted his hand away. With a defensive tone, she replied, "You know I watch more than just Home Alone at Christmas."

Turning back around so that she was cuddled into his chest again, she pouted at the television, seeming to forget that Damon was taller than her and could see over her shoulder. "If you don't want to watch movies, we don't have to. I know it must be boring to a man of your age."

"Ouch." He laughed before pressing a kiss on her temple. "Of course, I want to watch. I want to do anything with you," he reassured her.

Over her shoulder, he could see Elena grinning. "That's exactly the kind of thing people wouldn't believe that you've said aloud."

Damon nipped her ear. "Don't tell anyone then."

"Secrets safe with me," she whispered theatrically.

Truly, he did want to watch movies, whichever one it was she picked. Not only because it would make Elena happy, which he knew it would but also because it always made him feel ecstatic when she shared her traditions with him. His Christmases before her were not even worth remembering, and they certainly didn't have any traditions.

"You know," Elena whispered after some silence. "We should make our own traditions, not just celebrate mine."

Damon trailed kisses down the exposed part of her neck. "I like that idea."

"I know." She smiled and twisted her upper body to capture his lips. She then abruptly pulled back and rose from the sofa. "But first, we continue with my tradition, which is to drink hot cocoa and burn our tongue while watching The Holiday."

As Elena sashayed out of the room in Christmas themed pajamas and slippers, he kept quiet about the fact that she could no longer burn her tongue for more than five seconds. Why ruin it for her? He decided to make himself useful instead and get the movie ready for when she got back with their cup of chocolate overload.

* * *

The moment the credits rolled across the screen, Damon attacked Elena's neck with his tongue and teeth, his hands fighting to find her curves beneath her pajamas. He had been patient for over two hours now, but being so close to Elena and not being with her was starting to drive him crazy.

"Damon," she hissed as she weakly tried to pull his hands from her body.

"Elena," he purred back.

"We're supposed to exchange gifts now," she reasoned between gasps. "We get to open one present each of Christmas Eve."

"Your present is here, waiting for you to unwrap it." He nudged her so that she could feel exactly what he was talking about. "You'll love it."

Elena tsked. "Don't you know that Santa only brings presents to good boys?" She teased.

"Fuck Santa," he breathed against her skin. "I only want you for Christmas."

"Please, Damon," she begged as she glanced at him with her big doe eyes. She knew he damn well couldn't resist them. "It'll only take a few minutes. _It's tradition_."

 _Fuck tradition,_ Damon thought to himself but sighed. "Fine." He readjusted his position on the sofa to relieve his discomfort. "But I think it's time to start our own traditions."

"Soon," Elena promised, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. She hurried over to the Christmas tree and picked up a box from below it. "Here." She practically threw it at him, grinning from ear to ear. The box had a big blue bow that seemed to be the same shade as his eyes. "Open it!" She squealed.

Damon smirked at her excitement. He undid the bow, putting it aside to use on Elena's wrists later on. Secretly, he was excited to see what was inside. He was slightly disappointed. "Well, thanks, but I'm pretty stocked up on high heels. They're a real bitch, so I don't wear them much lately, and these aren't even my size, Elena. Really, do you know me at all?"

Elena laughed. "Open the box, idiot. Have you never put a gift in a used… never mind, of course, you haven't." She rolled her eyes.

Damon raised his eyebrow. He had never wrapped a present in his life until the first one he had given her. He removed the top of the box and glanced back at Elena's expectant face. "Envelopes?" He asked cautiously, hoping he wasn't missing something crucial.

Elena looked shyly at her clasped hands. "They're called 'open when' letters. I wanted to give you something different, and sentimental. I thought this would be more personal than a new shirt, or a bottle of bourbon…" she explained with red cheeks. "You have to open them when you're in a certain mood, like…"

"Like when I'm horny?" He asked with a smirk, lifting the envelope marked, ' _Open When You're… You Know ;)'_

"You're so predictable, picking out that one first." Elena laughed. "But really, do you like it?"

Damon paused for a moment, his emotions closing his throat. His fingers ran across the letters, his eyes catching on her handwriting. _'Open When You Miss Me,'_ and, _'Open When You Need to Know How Much I Love You.'_ Honestly, it was perfect. Sometimes, Elene was such an enigma to him. To have this insight into her was priceless.

He glanced at her with shining eyes. _Jesus Christ, let me be burned at the stake before a tear rolls down my cheek,_ he thought desperately."I always wondered… what it would be like to get a gift from someone who loves me. Thank you, Elena. I love it and I love you." He leaned in and kissed her deeply.

As they broke apart Elena glanced at the fire, blinking fast. When she turned back to him, she laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Honestly, I wish you would let people see you like this."

Damon scoffed and moved to the Christmas tree, picking up two presents and ignoring what she had said. Turning back to face Elena, he asked with a smirk, "Have you been naughty?" He lifted one present. "Or nice?" He lifted the other.

Elena gasped, faking offense. "I can't believe you even have to ask! Just because I'm dating you, doesn't mean that I'm naughty. I'm a good girl!" She pouted.

"You sure?" He shook the 'naughty' gift at her.

Elena bit her lip as she pondered her options. "Can I be a bit of both?" She smiled, angling for two presents. Minx.

He shook his head and tempted her with both gifts again. Watching her squirm brought him quite a bit of amusement. He knew she would be completely surprised by whichever gift she chose.

"Nice," Elena finally decided. "I've definitely been a good girl this year. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Absolutely," he said, though secretly disagreed. She wasn't a good girl in bed. He handed her the 'nice' gift wrapped in silver paper with a gold ribbon. "Merry Christmas Eve, Elena."

Elena squealed and took it eagerly, carefully removing the ribbon and unwrapping the gift. She slowly moved the tissue away so that she could look at the contents. When she saw what was inside, an appalled look marred her face before her jaw unhinged. Damon laughed aloud to hide his nervousness. Did she hate it?

"Damon Salvatore!" Elena sounded so scandalized she may as well have walked in on an orgy. "I think you accidently gave me the 'naughty' gift."

"Nope, it's the right one," he assured her, glancing down at the black leather corset and matching panties Elena was pulling out of the box. "I know deep inside every 'good girl' is a bad girl dying to come out, and that certainly applies to you."

Elena huffed, and Damon was pleased to see she was repressing a smile. "Well, I think this whip will come in handy when I have to discipline you later," she observed though she said the naughty words with a blush.

Damon smirked. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

Overcome with desire for his minx of a girlfriend, Damon scooped her up and began their very first new tradition in front of the fireplace. A half an hour later, he managed to convince Elena into her new present and up the stairs to their room. She eagerly took his hand and rushed up the stairs, seemingly determined to show him how naughty she could be.

* * *

Christmas morning arrived and Elena was woken by the wondrous smell of coffee and freshly baked croissants.

"Merry Christmas, Elena," Damon greeted, climbing onto the bed and placing a kiss on her lips.

"What's all this?" Elena whispered, rubbing her eyes.

The breakfast tray he laid on her lap held coffee and two blood bags along with a fresh chocolate croissant and a selection of fruits.

"I thought we could have breakfast in bed. Start the day with indulging. Not like we can get fat or anything." Damon smirked as he helped himself to a blood bag and a strawberry, popping it into his mouth. "A new Gilbert-Salvatore Christmas tradition."

Elena was so moved that no sound came out of her mouth. A wide smile spread across her lips instead and she picked up her fork to steal a bite of his breakfast while he was putting her a plate together. She was content to let her old tradition fade while they built some new ones of their own.

After breakfast, and a shower together, Damon was zipping Elena into her party dress. "Do you think Blondie would mind having fewer people at dinner today?" He asked suddenly.

Elena raised her brow at him in the mirror, and he hastened to persuade her. "That way we could spend the day together. Just the two of us."

"Damon," Elena replied, frustrated. "They're expecting us, and besides: everyone we love will be there. It's just for a few hours, and then we come home."

"Fine," he relented, though wasn't looking for spending hours with the Scooby Gang. "As long as you promise to wear your Mrs. Claus outfit later."

Elena blushed. "If you insist."

He had seen the skimpy red dress with white fluff in her wardrobe some time ago. It was quite old, something Elena had purchased for fun. But it revealed a lot of cleavage, and leg: all of Damon's favorite body parts, and so he had been dying to get her into it for their first Christmas together.

Upon seeing her in it and ravishing her, he had henceforth declared that it was a 'must' for Christmas, and so Elena was already planning which lingerie set to wear underneath it from when they got home from the Forbes' cabin. She couldn't wait to see his face light up.

* * *

That evening, after joining their friends at the cabin, Elena and Damon were sitting in his blue Camaro, driving back to the boarding house when Elena noticed something out of the window. "Damon!" She exclaimed. "It's snowing!"

A light dusting had just begun to pile on the trees and coat the road as they drove pass. Damon was suddenly struck with inspiration. Once the car pulled to a stop in the driveway, he opened Elena's door before she had the chance and reached for her hand, tugging her to his chest.

Then he jumped. Elena squealed into his chest, though it seemed lost to the air bubble around them. The sound only expanded outwards as they landed on the roof. He loosened his tight grip just a little and turned her so that her back was pressed to his chest. Their small town was covered in white.

Elena gasped. "It's stunning."

"I know," Damon whispered, his eyes looking at her bright face.

Seeing her like this, right now, with snow in her hair and on her coat, a smile brightening her face, Damon was sure there wasn't a more beautiful woman on earth. Elena sighed long and low, pressing herself deeper into his arms. "This has been the perfect ending, to a perfect Christmas."

"I couldn't agree more," he breathed into her hair. He brushed a brown curl away from her face. "How about we add this to our new list of traditions?" He offered.

"I'd really like that." Elena placed her hands-on Damon's shoulder and reached up to kiss him. When they broke apart, Elena grinned at him. "Along with the hot bath and foot massage, you're going to give me once we're in the house."

Damon laughed. "Of course, gorgeous." He agreed to her terms since he was going to benefit from them as well.

* * *

After an evening of the Mrs. Claus outfit, Damon's lingerie present, love making, promises and kisses, they were both lay together in bed. Elena was wrapped in Damon's arms, content and fast asleep. Damon lay awake, stroking her bare shoulder before he slid her onto their mattress and reached to the side of the bed to retrieve the box Elena had previously gifted to him.

After some rummaging, he found the envelope he was looking for.

' _Open When You're Happy'_

He smiled at her handwriting and began to read.

 _I'm so glad you opened this envelope because it means that you must be happy and I'm happy when you're happy! I don't know what it is that put you in a good mood, but damn I hope you stay that way! I love seeing you smile and those dimples you get in your cheeks. So if you're really happy and smiling like a maniac, I want you to go find me. Put this letter down, go find me and tell me all about it. I want to know what made you happy so I can make sure it happens as often as possible._

 _Love,  
Elena_

His lips were pulled in the most genuine smile to ever grace his face. After re-reading the little note for the fifth time, he took her advice and put down the paper. He brushed away the single tear that managed to escape from his eye despite his best efforts and turned to Elena's sleeping body. Leaning over her shoulder, he whispered a single word in her ear, filling each letter with all the love he could muster.

"You."

* * *

 **Thank for reading! The best Christmas gift would be reading your reviews about this little story! :)**

 **Happy Holidays! xx**

 **Niki**


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